Guardian
by Meisae
Summary: Kagome gets attacked one night on her way home from some earns at school. What will happen? (Rated M for violence to be safe)


_**Authors note:**__Hello everyone! :D I'm here with a oneshot this time, or at last it remains a oneshot for now until I decide otherwise^^ I hope you like it! I used the song "Given the chance" by The Kite String Tangle, and it was a great inspiration for me while I wrote. It's totally worth to listen to! It's one of my favorites already! XD __**~Meisae**_

_**Disclaiming:**__ I do not own Inuyasha, nor its characters. It all belongs to Rumiko Takahashi, so the credit goes to her! :D_

_**Summary: **__Kagome gets attacked one night on her way home from some earns at school. What will happen?  
__**(Rated M for violence to be safe)**_**-**  
  
**Guardian **

Kagome stared into her bag in disbelief after searching through her paper and books for the seventh time that evening. "It's not here!" she almost screamed in frustration as her hands flews up to her head, fisting the hair above her ears. Her eyes shoots to the clock on her writing desk. Ten past nine. She feel panic start to creep up on her. The hand in was due tomorrow, and she still had a lot to do before she even could begin to call it finished. And Math was her worst subject!

"Kagome, could you help me make the table?" She heard her mother call from down below. " I'll be right there!" Kagome called back down before giving the clock one last glance. "Right, if I can get to school in ten minutes, I might be able to get back before dinner. I can sit with the hand in after that." she nodded in agreement to herself before giving a heavy sigh. "but I don't think I'll get much sleep tonight thought..." She quickly emptied her bag on her bed before exiting her room.

"Souta? Can you come and help mom make the table for dinner?" She called as she started to run down the stairs. Souta's head popped out from his room as he called after her "Why can't you do that?" It wasn't that he minded helping his mother, but he had clearly heard her call on Kagome to help her, not him. Kagome halted in the stair as she looked up at him.

"Sorry, Souta! I forgot the hand in at school and I have to run and fetch it!" she called back up to him, giving him a apologizing smile. "Really, again? When will you learn, sis?" Souta groaned as he scratched his neck. How many times had this happened already? "So much has happened lately, and my mind was kind of overflowing already. I simply forgot" she laughed hopelessly as she mimicked her brother's action.

Souta shook his head. "Can't you get it tomorrow?"

"Can't, it's due tomorrow!" she called back as she marched down the stairs. She quickly ran past the kitchen, causing a very confused Mrs. Higurashi to look up from her cooking as her eyes followed her daughter. She blinked slightly. "The kitchen is this way, dear"

"I know, mom. I'm sorry but I need to get something at school. I'll be right back" Kagome called over her shoulders as she brought her bare feet inside her blue slippers. She heard her mother's footsteps behind her as she rose back on up her feet. "You're going at this time? It's almost dark outside, dear"

Kagome turned to her mother for a second before smiling. "I'll be fine, mom. I don't have a choice anyways, you know how strict my math teacher is. Do you want me to bring something back while I'm at it?"

"Can you? We have run out of Eggs and milk. Wait there and I'll get you the money" Mrs. Higurashi said as she headed back into the kitchen. Souta came down the stairs as he gave his sister a concerned look. "You sure you'll be fine walking to school at this hour? Shouldn't you at last ask Inuyasha to accompany you?"

Kagome shook her head before smiling down at him. "It's ok, besides he has his own concerns at the moment. I would just waste time going back there to ask him. Besides I can manage just fine in this time. I can't have him protect me from the dark too" Mrs. Higurashi reentered the hallway as she handed Kagome the money. "Be careful, ok? Go straight home after getting the groceries, and at last take the bike with you"

"Got it, I will! I'll be right back then" she smiled before exiting the house, shutting the door behind her. The sky was filled with a mixture of colors, a slight breeze breathed comfortably against her skin as she took a deep breath. "Right, no time to waste. Better to get on with it" She had to carry her bike down the stairs, but she didn't really mind. It's not like it was that heavy anyways. After the stairs, it was almost a straight path to her school, but even with bike it would take at last ten minutes.

She placed her school bag with the money inside her bicycle basket before sliding her foot over the seat of her bike, taking off with the other and soon she was up in enough speed to her liking. She couldn't help to think that it would have gone much quicker if she was riding Inuyasha's back at the moment. She gave a heavy sigh before shaking off the feeling. _'Don't be such a bother, Kagome. Prove that you can do something without relying on him all the time'_ she thought to herself as she focused her eyes on the road ahead.

It didn't take long before her school came into view and relief washed over her as she saw lights in the corridors at her floor. Darkness had never been her thing, and dark corridors was on her "not to do" list. She hated the thought of walking through those dark corridors while her feet echoed for each step she took. Now that this concern was gone, she could concentrate on finding her papers.

She parked her bike on the tripod beside the entrance, and quickly grabbed her bag before quickly heading for the entrance. She'd hate it if the lights suddenly went off before she got to her classroom. She quickly changed her slippers to her school shoes in her looker and headed for the stairs.

They were heavier than usual she thought to herself as she finally reached her floor completely breathless, but she wasted no time regaining her breath as she made her way to her classroom. To her surprise the main door was already open. _'Who's here in this hour anyways?'_ she thought as she entered the classroom.

Her eyes widened slightly at the sight as she felt her breath get caught in her throat. "I-Izumi-sensei?!" The tall figure before her turned towards her, the eyes widening at the sight of her. "Higurashi?! what are you doing here this late?" If forgetting her math papers at school wasn't bad enough! Before her stood no other than the one person teaching her the subject.

She fought to find her voice for a second "I-I forgot the hand-in papers for tomorrow, but I just found out a few minutes ago... So I went to fetch them" Kagome laughed nervously as she headed for her spot near the window. _'Stay calm, Kagome. There is no need in telling him whose paper in which subject you forgot'_ she breathed as her steps towards her desk felt like one mile each. "I see. Whoever teacher made you hand in the papers tomorrow? How are you supposed to deliver it?" Izumi-sensei asked as he collected the paper spread out on the desk before him.

Kagome felt cold run down her spine as she bend down beside her desk to reach into the shelf beneath it. _'Oh, so he's testing me now?' _She laughed nervously before grabbing the papers and getting back up on her feet again. "Oh, you know the teachers, they always find a way to torment- ah I mean teach us something."

He laughed at this as he placed his papers into is dark leather bag. "Yeah, but still to give you a hand in to a day off is kind of rough, don't you think?"

Kagome stared at him for a second, her eyes widening. "W-what did you just say?" her words almost ghostly as she spoke. He looked up from his bag in confusion "No, I just think it's strange to give the students homework on a day off. After all there is no school tomorrow" He spoke giving her another confused look at the sight off her wide eyes. "Higurashi, Is everything alright? You look kind of pale. Do you feel sick again?" He asked in concern. She marched over to him as she felt anger grow inside her.

"You did!" She almost screamed as she approached him pointing her finger at him angrily, his hands suddenly brought up in front of him in an attempt of protection. "D-did what?" he asked as he swallowed heavily. He had never seen this side of her before. What happened to the silent, almost always absent girl in his class? "YOU'RE the one who made US hand in the MATH homework for TOMORROW!" she almost growled at him, and couldn't help to think that Inuyasha would have loved to watch this situation.

"W-what? No I didn't! It's for the 12th Next week!" he claimed as he reached for his bag. He fumbled a few seconds inside it before bringing up a sheet of paper he'd obviously been searching for. "Here look" he spoke as he pointed on the line where the date of the hand in was supposed to be delivered, and just as he said it was clearly 12th not 2nd it said. Kagome stared a long moment at the number before her before looking back up at her teacher. "B-but my sheet says 2nd not 12th" she looked down at her own papers, and handed it to her teacher.

He examined the paper for a few seconds before his laughter filled his room. "You're completely right, miss Higurashi. It clearly says 2nd, but I can assure you it's supposed to be 12th. I guess you got one of the printouts where the printer was running low on ink. I'm really sorry for the misunderstanding. I hope it didn't cause you too much trouble" He handed her back the papers before giving her a comforting smile.

She gave a heavy sigh "That means I didn't have to go to get my hand in tonight! I could be home now! Eating dinner!" she groaned as she leaned her hands on the front desk. Izumi-sensei laughed once more before lightly patting her shoulder. "I'm truly sorry, Higurashi. Come, let me see you out." She tiredly followed him as they both exited the classroom.

The cold night air hit her face as they entered the school yard. She greatly regretted her not wearing her jacket at the moment, and her bare legs didn't help much. "I can drive you home, Higurashi. It's already dark outside. It's part my fault for you being here this late" Izumi-sensei offered but Kagome kindly refused "It's ok, Izumi-sensei. I have my bike, so I'll get home fast and I have some errands to take care of at the store, but thanks for your offer"

"If you say so, but don't stay out for too long. It's still early spring and it's still cold outside, so get home as quickly as you can. I don't want your health to drop lower than it already has" Izumi said before pulling his jacket closer up to his face. Kagome smiled over at him before nodding "I will. You're so different from how you act in class, Sensei. You should show more of this side you know." she grinned earning a confused look from him, but it didn't last for long as he now grinned himself "Oh, really? I have to be strict with my students or they won't deliver good results, right? Besides I can say the same about you, Higurashi. I never knew you could raise your voice like that!"

Blood rushed to her cheeks as she remembered her past actions. She really lost it back there, didn't she? He only laughed before taping her on her shoulder. "But no slacking off just because you know my real character. I tend to change personalities quite quickly when I'm inside the classroom" he grinned at her. "Wouldn't cross my mind, sensei. I know your other character far too well" she laughed nervously.

After saying goodbye to Izumi-sensei, she headed towards the grocery store. She parked her bike outside the store and quickly went for the eggs and the milk. As the store's glass-doors slid to the side once more, the coldness hit her harder than she expected. Was it possible to get this cold in those few minutes? She placed the plastic bag beside her schoolbag and got on her bike once more. She pulled the sleeves of her light blue cardigan further down her arms just enough for them to reach her hands, giving them some cover from the cold, then she was off.

The small river rumbled quietly on the other side of the fence as the wind brushed through the leafs of the trees. No clouds covered the beautiful night sky tonight as stars kept her company on the way home. Her fingers had already turned bright red already and she could barely feel them as they clung to the steer of her bike. Her thigh was also growing slightly numb as she had nothing else than her dark blue skirt on. Why hadn't she grabbed a pair of pants before leaving the house?

A loud bam echoed through the air, making her jump in her seat before halting her bicycle. She stared down at her now flat back-tire before her eyes traveled to the broken glass a few feet back. "You have got to be kidding me!" she groaned as she got off angrily and bent down to find out where the glass had broke through the rubber. A light shimmer caught her attention as her hand traveled in the direction of it. She lightly grabbed the small piece of glass stuck inside her tire and pulled. "ouch!" she withdrew her hand quickly, letting the small fragment fall to the ground before disappearing into the grass beside her. "Perfect..." she spoke sarcastic as she placed her now bloody forefinger inside her mouth. The taste made her make a grimace before she rose to her feet once more.

"Well, nothing I can do about that now... I guess I have to walk then" she sighed and grabbed the steer tiredly. This day couldn't get any worse...

She finally reached the residential area and light from the streetlights gave her some comfort, but she still had about fifteen minutes before she reached home. She passed another corner when she noticed the footsteps behind her. She felt the cold run down her spine as she started to walk a bit faster, but the steps behind her quickened too. She told herself that she was only imagined things, that her mind played a trick on her. She passed another corner and finally dared to glance over her shoulder, but she never stopped walking. To her relief there was no one there and she took a deep breath to relax herself. Her mind was really playing a trick on her. This was why she hated the dark... You never knew what lurked there.

Suddenly she felt herself being yanked to the side, a gloved hand covering her attempted scream, leaving her bicycle crashing hard into the ground, the eggs crushing inside the politick bag.

**Back at the Higurashi's house**

Mrs. Higurashi stared in concern at the clock hanging by the entrance of the kitchen. "She should have been her by now... I wonder what's taking her so long..." she voiced silently as her hand rested against her face. "Don't worry, Kagome is capable of taking care of herself by now. She isn't my granddaughter for nothing" Grandpa Higurashi spoke as he took his seat by the table. "I'm sure she just met some of her friends and stayed to talk with them for a moment. The food is getting cold, and I'm sure Kagome wouldn't want us to spoil it."

"I don't really know... She's rarely this late..." Mrs. Higurashi couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. "I'm worried to, mom... She said she would be right back and she always stick to that when she sais it. She wouldn't want us to worry" Souta spoke as he joined his mother side.

"OHY! KAGOME!" A loud voice could be heard from upstairs making the family downstairs look at each other in confusion. Souta ran out in the hallway and looked up the stairs just as something red exited Kagome's room. "I-Inuyasha?!" Souta breathed and the hanyou's golden eyes met the kid's wide ones downstairs. "Oy, Souta where is Kagome? She said she would be back today but she hasn't returned yet!" he growled irritated as he jumped down the stairs landing gracefully in front of the kid.

"Oh, Inuyasha-kun, I'm so glad that you're here!" Mrs. Higurashi ran over to him as she placed a hand on his arm. "Kagome still hasn't returned! She was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago" Inuyasha could hear the concern in her voice as worry started to creep up on him.

"What do you mean by not returned? Where did she go at this hour anyways?" Souta grabbed Inuyasha's sleeve to get his attention. "She forgot something at school which she has to deliver tomorrow. It was really important, that's why she couldn't wait to get it. But she's rarely this late..."

"I told you to stop worrying already, I'm sure she's fine. Come now and join me at the table before the food get's too cold. Kagome is surely around the corner in this moment" Grandpa Higurashi nodded at his own statement as he gave signal for them to join him.

"How can you be this calm, old grump? Don't you care if something happens to her?" Inuyasha stated almost angrily. "Of course I care for her! I just want to give her some space, Inuyasha-boy" It wasn't that he wasn't worried himself, he just believed that his granddaughter was perfectly capable taking care of herself.

"But still, I have a strange feeling, Inuyasha..." Mrs. Higurashi spoke as she glanced over to entrance door in hope her daughter might walk through and apologize for being late. She felt a tight grip on her shoulder before Inuyasha passed her as he headed for the door. "Don't worry, Mrs. Higurashi. I'll find her" he stated as he closed the door behind him.

**Back to Kagome**

Her body was slammed hard against the brick wall and another scream would have been heard if it weren't for the hand still covering her mouth. She tried to pull the hand away, but somehow her arms couldn't find the strength she needed. She breathed heavily and fast as she stared right into those dark eyes above her. The man before her gave a laugh that sent shivers down her spine as he waved his finger in front of her face. "Shhhhhh... We don't want anyone to interrupt us now, do we?" he hummed as his free hand traveled down her neck towards her chest. She tried her best to get away from his grip, but it was no use. He was just too strong.

It was too dark for her to see him clearly, and there was no one who passed by to help her. She couldn't let this happen to her! His hand came in contact with one of her breasts as one of his feet sided in between her legs. She couldn't let this happen! A sudden energy ran through her as she bit down with all her might on the hand covering her face, triumph running through her at the taste of blood. She heard him hiss in pain as he removed his now wounded hand. She took this opportunity to send her knee as hard as she could straight into his crotch earning a silent scream from him.

She wasted no time for him to recover as she ran in the direction of her bicycle, adrenalin and fear was the only things making her body work at the moment. "Y-you bitch!" she heard him call after her but she only ran faster.  
She couldn't afford to panic now. Her bike came into view a few meters before and relief washed over her, but her victory ended shortly as she was thrown backwards, her back rasped against the cold asphalt tearing her skin where her cardigan didn't cover for her. It completely knocked the breath out of her lungs as the world spun around her. She had no time to recover as she felt a terrible pain spread across her face, the force causing her head to slam hard into the hard surface.

"Thought you could run, huh?! thought you could get away from me, bitch?!" The voice screamed as another fist was brought to her face, this time it hit her nose as a loud *crack* echoed through the dark alley. Her eyes was all foggy as the pain was overtaking her. She felt something cold and sharp press up against her throat, draining some blood. Not that she felt any pain. Her face was taking that part away. She only felt the warmth escape through the rift. Her mind was still spinning as she groaned.

"If you even dare to make a sound, I'll make sure it'll be your last, you hear me?! Not a sound!" The dark voice hissed, but it sounded as a far off whisper to her. She felt the sudden coldness on her chest as he tore open her cardigan, the small buttons flying in all directions. _'N-no...'_ even her mind was foggy. The taste of metal made her sick.

His cold gloveless hand met the warmth of her skin and a discussed shutter spread through her body at the contact. _'No... I- I can't let... I can't...'_ But her body found no strength to resist. She made out her bike through the fog as the warmth escaped her eye, traveling across her face, joining the tears on the other side of her face. It was so close, it felt like if she reached out, she could touch it with her fingertips, but she couldn't move. "Ah, laces... How I love them..." she heard him groan under his breath. She shut her eyes tightly, causing fresh tears to escape as they mixed with the blood. _'Please... so-somebody... s-save me...'_ His hand traveled up her thigh and new panic washed through her. _'I-Inuyasha!'_

Suddenly the hand left her body and a loud groan echoed through the alley. It took a while for her mind to capture what had just happened. "GIVE ME ONE..." another groan could be heard before her as it soon turned into silent whimpers "ONE GOOD REASON FOR ME NOT TO TEAR YOUR THROAT OPEN AT THIS MOMENT!" the voice roared, the echo lasting longer than the last. "W-what...?" Kagome tried to find the right amount of strength to open her eyes, but even that was hard in her condition. She heard another familiar growl and somehow managed to open her one eye which wasn't damaged from the impact earlier. The world was still spinning, but she did her best to sit up just enough to see what was happening in front of her. The scene swayed before her as it tried to decide which side it belonged to.

She made out the red amongst the millions of other colors and soon her eyes stabilized enough to make out the figure before her. The man who pinned her down earlier was now hanging by his throat to the brick wall on the opposite side from her, his feat desperately tried to find contact with the ground, silent whimpers and gasps came from his mouth at the lack of oxygen.

She steadied herself on her elbow to put minimal pressure on her already damaged back. The silver hair swayed in the wind behind him, glowing in the lights of the moon. "I...I-Inuya-sha...?" her voice rasped through her throat as it came out as a broken whisper. Inuyasha pressed his hand deeper into the man's throat, a growl lingering in his own. The man's feet started to lose their strength as his eyeballs begun to roll back into his head.

She fumbled over to her knees in an attempted position to get back up, but her strength was still fragile as her feet felt like jelly. She looked back up at his stiff back, every muscle in his body was tense. "I-I'm ok, Inuyasha. I'm fine now so you can let him down..." her voice cracked at the end. Her face had grown numb by the passing time, but the cold air pricked painfully through her damaged skin. Her voice confirming her broken nose.

Inuyasha didn't pull back, neither did he loosen his grip around the man's throat. "Inuyasha, you're not a killer, remember? He's not worth the blood on your hands..." she stated and watched as he slowly let his shoulders down, the man drawing a deep breath as Inuyasha barely loosened his grip. "He HURT you, Kagome! He deserves the blood on my hands" he stated coldly with his back still facing her, but she knew the coldness wasn't directed to her. "No, he's not. You're better than this, Inuyasha... please listen to me" Kagome pleaded as she steadied herself on her hands.

Another growl build in his throat before bringing his free hand up to the man's face, the fear in his eyes growing greater as Inuyasha's nails tore the skin on his forehead. The man barely found any strength to scream as Inuyasha continued down across the left eye, ending at the end of his cheek. "Inuyasha! What are you doing?!" Kagome screamed horrified. Hadn't her voice reached him at all?

"Don't worry, I won't kill him. I'm just leaving him something to remember me by!" Inuyasha hissed under his breath as he threw the man's body sideways, his shoulder scraping against the cold asphalt. He groaned at the impact. As soon as he started to recover from the fall, he bent over and coughed after air.

Inuyasha took a few steps towards him, causing the man to fumble back on his back using his bare hands and shaking feet to get as far away from Inuyasha as he could. "If I **EVER **see your face around here again, I'll **RIP** that face of yours open!" Inuyasha growled, his eyes finally visible to her own. A shudder went through her. She had never seen him this angry before. His usual warm and golden eyes were as gray as ice, his pupil in the shape of a snake's.

The man didn't give Inuyasha the chance to repeat himself as he fumbled to his feet shakily and ran in the opposite direction, his body disappearing in the darkness of the night. Inuyasha just stood there a long and silent moment. Now that it was all over, her emotions got the best of her as his figure turned into a blurry mess, her chest giving of silent sobs. Her arms barely managed to support her weight as they trembled beneath her. "I-I'm sorry..." she hoarsely spoke "I can't seem to stop them..." she tried to wipe her stray tears from her bloody face.

She heard footsteps heading her way and soon felt herself being pulled against something soft. Inuyasha buried his face deep into the corner of her neck as he brought her closer to his now kneeling body. She felt him tremble against her "I-Inuyasha?" he tightened his grip around her. "Inuyasha... you're hurting me..." she breathed, but he didn't budge. "I'm so sorry... If only I had got here sooner..." his voice cracked at the end. She brought her hands to his back as she dug her own face into his warm haori, ignoring the pain in her face as she did so.

"You came just in time, Inuyasha... If you hadn't I'm not sure what would have happened to me..." she whispered into his shoulder, her own arms tightening around his body. "Thank you... thank you... thank you..." she whispered it over and over, her voice getting more and more stifled by her growing relief, his haori draining all her tears. He brought her closer, leaving no room for air between them.

She had no idea of how long they stayed like that, but sleep almost caught in on her as she rested her cheek against his shoulder. She felt him bring his hands underneath her knees as her body soon left the ground as he lifted her bridal style. "Let's head back to fix you up... Your family is really worried..." he huskily spoke as he turned in the direction of her bike. She barely nodded against his chest as exhaustion was starting to get the best of her.

"The eggs..." she mumbled silently, but Inuyasha had clearly heard her as he bent down to pick up the white plastic bag by her bicycle basket. "Some of them is still whole, but most of them is destroyed... But that will have to do for now. The most important part right now is to get you fixed. The eggs can wait for tomorrow" he placed the bag back into the basket before taking her bicycle under his free arm.

They were home in no time as Inuyasha jumped up the familiar stairs leading to her home. She wasn't cold anymore as Inuyasha had given her his red haori to cover her exposed flesh. The scent of him made her feel so relaxed. Made her feel safe. She looked up at the sound of the door opening and Inuyasha entered the house, leaving her punctured bike outside. As soon as the bright light hit her eyes, she heard voices from inside the kitchen heading in their direction. As her eyes adjusted to the light, her mother came into view, a mortified expression filled her usual smiling face. Souta soon joined their mother as his expression took the same expression. "I must really look bad, huh?" Kagome laughed tiredly, and she felt Inuyasha's arms tens underneath her.

"KAGOME!" they both shouted as they ran towards her and Inuyasha. Mrs. Higurashi barely dared to touch her daughter's face as her eyes filled with tears. "W-what happened to you?!" she cried out as tears streamed down her face. "I'm fine now, mom. Inuyasha saved me..." Kagome smiled weakly in an attempt to comfort her mother. Mrs. Higurashi quickly looked up at the boy before her as her hands traveled to his face.

Inuyasha simply nodded and smiled weakly down at her understandingly. No words were needed. "K-Kagome? Is that really you? What happened?" grandpa Higurashi's voice sounded from back in the hallway, his expression the same as her mother had a few moments ago.

"She was attacked on her way home, it appears..." Inuyasha spoke silently and she felt his grip around her tighten slightly at the remembrance. "I was almost at her school when I... When I smelled her blood..." Inuyasha explained as he tried his best to keep his voice steady.

"By who? Who would want to hur..." Mrs. Higurashi stopped midway in her sentence as her eyes fell to the ripped cardigan sticking up from Inuyasha's haori. Kagome noticed her stare and quickly pulled the haori up to cover her exposed area. Mrs. Higurashi's eyes lifted to Inuyasha's who nodded in confirmation. "I made sure he'd never set his foot here anymore. I don't think he'd ever want to do something like that again" Inuyasha stated calmly, but a faint growl lingered in his throat as he held Kagome closer.

"Good, if not I would have done it myself." she spoke angrily, causing both Inuyasha and Kagome to stare at her. Even Kagome hadn't seen her this angry before. She barely got to see her angry at all. "We should still report this. Did you get to see his face?" Souta finally spoke as he appeared to have recovered from the shook.

"Oh I saw his face alright" Inuyasha growled "But I left a mark on it, so he's easy to recognize. What I did will most likely leave a pretty ugly scar" Kagome could almost have sworn she had seen a faint grin on his rather serious mouth.

"We'll leave that for the morning, now let's get you fixed dear. Inuyasha, could you bring her to her room for me? I need to get the medical kit and I'll be right up with you." Inuyasha nodded at her before jumping up the stairs in one go. He carefully opened the door to her room, making sure to leave minimal pressure on her body as he did so. He entered her room before closing the door behind him.

"Thank you, Inuyasha." she smiled up at him but he barely smiled back. "Right, I must be looking hideous at the moment" she laughed at herself before turning her attention to the mirror by her closet. "Could you maybe try to put me down by the mirror, Inuyasha?" she asked as her hand lead the way. He said nothing as he walked over to it. Carefully he putt he down by the mirror, but he still choose to keep the hand on her shoulder for support. She stared mortified on her "reflection" inside the mirror. Was that really her? She barely could recognize herself.

A big bump growing out from her normally small eyebrow, almost covering her right eye completely. No wonder she barely could see anything. A big cut was clearly visible in the corner of her lip, the blood surrounding it stiffened earlier that night. Her cheek was also quite swollen, but the worst part of her face was her nose. She couldn't help but laugh at the sight, but she quickly regretted her actions as fresh pain build in her broken nose.

"Careful there, Kagome. How come you're laughing?" he was stunned that she could even dare to laugh after what she had just been through. "I'm sorry, Inuyasha. But just look at me! I'm so laughable!" she almost burst out in laughter once more. He lightly grabbed her shoulders, making her look his way. "In what way are you even laughable?" his voice was serious as he stared deep into her eyes, or rather her eye since the other barely was visible.

She smiled up at him, or at last that's what she intended to do, but she had no Idea of how it turned out. "I'm fine now, Inuyasha. Let the past stay in the past. You saved me, and I'm deeply grateful for that. More than you can ever imagine." She stated before giving him a more concerned look making him look at her in question. "But I need you to do me one last favor, ok?" she asked, still with her serous eyes. He simply nodded as he let go of her shoulders.

She pointed to her nose. "I need you to fix this for me. Can you do that?" her voice bearing a faint worry to her tune. He stared wide eyed at her for a moment "You want me to fix your nose? You sure about that? It'll be very painful you know?"

"Rather you than my mom to be honest. I know her, she will try to do it as carefully as she can, and that will only make it more painful. I need it to be quick, and you can do that" She said as she gave him signal to start. He simply stared her with the same "are you sure you want this?" expression. "Hurry, my mother will be here any second now. I need to get it over with fast. Don't worry, you won't hurt me. You'll only make it better for me, ok?" she assured him as she stepped closer to him.

He took a deep breath before lifting both of his hands up to her face. One to bring her nose back in proportion, the other to support her head as he did so. "Ok, take a deep breath" His face was suddenly so close, making her ears hot, but she ignored it as drew the air deep into her lungs as she closed her eyes. "Ready?" his voice filled the room making her heart beat one rate higher. She breathed out and nodded.

A sudden pain shoot through her face as a loud *crack* filled the room. She felt fresh warmth leave her nose as her mind was spinning. She felt his hands grab a hold of her shoulders to keep her from falling. "You ok?" he asked in concern as he stroked his fingers through her hair. It took a few seconds before she dared to let the air fill her lungs once more. "Yeah..." she silently spoke as she slowly started to open her eyes, his blurry face coming into view.

She blinked a few times till his face become more clear before smiling up at him. "Thank you. How do I look?" Inuyasha gently laughed at this "Less beat up, but still like a piece of meat going through a rough time" he spoke as he turned her around to face the mirror once more. "Yeah, a lot better, that's for sure. The swelling of my eye and cheek will calm down as soon as I have it cooled down. The beating was worth it though. I gave him a piece of me to" she grinned into the mirror.

"You did?" Inuyasha blinked as he stared into the reflection of her eyes. "I bit his hand hard enough to draw some blood, and his crotch is probably still hurting, not as bad as his face thought, but still hurting" He blinked a few times before his expression softened, his hand lightly brushing the side of her cheek. "You did well to hold him off till I got there" he smiled into the mirror.

She nodded in agreement before turning around to face him. "Well, I need to change my clothes before my mom gets here" she started to push him in the direction of the door. "Yeah, yeah I get it. I'll be waiting outside" he snickered as he exited her room, closing the door behind him. To his surprise, Mrs. Higurashi stood there smiling at him, holding a small bowl of water in her hands, the medical kit hanging over her arm .

"Since when...?" he started but she simply shook her head at him. "I didn't want to disturb you two, so I waited. I can't thank you enough, Inuyasha. I can't find words for how grateful I am." She silently spoke, her smile still lingering on her lips. Inuyasha stepped away from the door as he placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to thank me, Mrs. Higurashi. I would have done it over and over without hesitation" his voice was firm as he spoke, truly meaning every word from his lips. She nodded at this as fresh tears build in the corners of her eyes.

"Please take care of my daughter from now on. She really trusts and believes in you, Inuyasha" She bowed her head before heading for Kagome's door, giving a light knock. "It's me, dear. Can I enter?" She asked with her ear close to the door. "just come in" Kagome's voice sounded from the other side of the door. Mrs. Higurashi turned her head in Inuyasha's direction one last time and gave him an assuring smile before entering the room before her.

Inuyasha stood there a silent moment as his eyes fell to his hands. He simply stared at them for a long moment before clenching his fists and looked up, a firm expression painted on his face.

**So what did you guys think? Still wondering if I should keep this as a oneshoot thought. I hope you'll take the time to tell me what you think of it and if you want me to continue this. I'm quite happy with the way this story turned out. I've had this idea of Kagome being assaulted on her way home late in the evening, and Inuyasha coming to her rescue of course, and that was all really. I started this story earlier today, and the story wrote itself on most parts.  
Well, I hope you liked it! :D (And for the grandfather, I didn't intend for him to sound bad in this fanfiction at all, so I hope you don't misunderstand)  
Thanks for reading^^**

~Meisae


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